Shine
by nospmisidam
Summary: Emma Swan is a 7th grader at Marion Middle School. She's been bouncing around foster homes for her whole life, but she finally found one that she thinks could stick. However, she's got a secret that is starting to get her in hot water at school, and a flashy new brunette who won't let her sit alone.
1. Chapter 1

**So I'm trying to write this from a perspective of a 13 year old, so the complexity will be a little watered down that I'm used to. Hope you like it. If you do, let me know. If you don't, that's chill.**

I sat there in the studio that morning, when I was supposed to be getting ready for school, wondering if it would always be like this. If I would always be bullied and teased my whole life. I thought about that, long and hard. I tried to count how many years of school I had left before I could run away…to like…Australia or something. One…two…three…..seven. Plus college, not that I'd ever get into college anyway. Seven years. My heart sank and I rested my head on my hands.

 _Maybe I could hide in here forever. It wouldn't be that bad. I've lived here for two years with these foster parents and it hasn't been bad at all. In fact, it's been good._

When I first came to Mary Margaret and Charming's compound, I would always sit in the workshop and look at all the shiny things that Charming would make out of glass and wood. He calls his workshop the Skylark Studio because he likes that bird, I guess. And we call him Charming, like the prince in Snow White. My foster siblings Graham and Ruby always call him that cause he treats Mary Margaret like a princess.

"EMMA?" Mary Margaret screamed so loud I fell off my stool and hit my head on a piece of scrap wood and groaned. "EMMA? WHAT WAS THAT NOISE? COME ON, YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE FOR SCHOOL AGAIN!"

I groaned again, but it wasn't due to the throbbing bump on my head.

 _So much for hiding in here my whole life._

I grabbed my half-eaten bagel from the desk, stuffed it in my mouth and ran out of the studio. Running into the courtyard through one of the sliding glass doors, I whispered a quick prayer to the glass-door gods that it was open. I had a reputation of blindly slamming into them a lot.

"Bye!" I yelled to the family and grabbed my backpack from the dusty porch.

"Bye now! Have a great day at school!" Mary Margaret beamed from behind her broom as she was sweeping away the millions of pine needles that never really go away no matter how much you sweep them.

"I wish" I mumbled under my breath, continuing to stumble out the garage, tripping over my feet occasionally.

Marion Middle School isn't that far from where we live, maybe a mile or less, so I always walk to school. Well lately it's been more running than walking. Even though life at the foster home has been nothing less than the best home I've been in, school life hasn't changed at all, unsurprisingly.

The boy from across the street was outside when I came trotting out of the garage. He waved to me and I awkwardly waved back. His name is Neal, and he's in ninth grade. Two years ahead of me. We used to play together a lot in our pool but his parents moved so he just stays across the street with his grandmother on weekdays so he can go to the high school a few miles down the road with all his friends. I don't see him a lot anymore. I think high school made him all gross and hairy.

When I got closer to the Marion Middle, I slowed down to catch my breath. I crept inside the hallway door and looked around.

 _No sign of her. She's probably already in class,_ I deduced. The bell rang to jolt me out of my thoughts and I rushed to my locker, grabbed my English homework and shoved it in my backpack. Suddenly, I felt my feet fly out from under me and I hit the ground. Coughing, I tried to get air back into my lungs. To my horror, I glanced up and saw _him_. _Killian Jones._ He had his usual smirk of satisfaction on his face whenever he made my life miserable.

"Good morning, dyke." He chirped innocently.

"It was…" I mutter sarcastically. He must have heard me because he kicked me hard in the stomach with his black converse shoes and whisked off, leaving me there lying in pain. I blinked furiously, trying to regain my sight. Slowly, I picked myself off the mop-neglected floor.

I should have gone to the guidance counselor right then and told her everything. I should have got him in trouble. I should have- but I didn't. I didn't just like all the other days. It would mean telling an adult why he beats me up, and the last thing I want is for an adult to go and gossip about it to anyone with a pulse.

So, like all the other days, I gathered up my books and ran to class, pretending like nothing happened.

After hours of stupid, boring classes, I sat in the cafeteria (alone, what a shock). I looked up from my tray of what-the-hell food and was startled to see a girl staring at me from a couple tables over. I shifted around in my seat, focusing back down to my hands. Still feeling her eyes on my, I started to feel anxious. I looked up and mouthed the word, " _What?!"_ to her. Then she turned and said something to the girl sitting next to her and got up. She walked over to me and sat down on the other side of my table. My nerves spiked. _What the hell does she want?!_

"Hi, I'm Regina."


	2. A Friend In Regina

"Uh, hey. I'm Emma." I replied, sounding more irritated than I wanted to.

"You shouldn't be sitting here all alone! Besides, you look upset." Regina poked, clearly disregarding my irritation.

 _Upset isn't even half the story._ I tried to find anything to look at other than her.

"I'm fine, really."

Regina shook her head and smiled. "No way. I'm not falling for that. But you don't have to tell me anything. I just don't want you to be lonely." And with that, she settled in and started carefully slicing her piece of cheese pizza like some kind of… I dunno… queen.

She had long, dark brown hair and tan skin that I envied instantly. Brown hair coupled her deep brown eyes. _I wish I was that pretty. But I'm stuck with pale skin, blonde hair and green eyes._

Charming says I look like him, which is dumb because he's just my foster dad. But sometimes, when no one is looking, I like to pretend.

 _She looks kinda Hispanic. I wonder if she's Hispanic._ I mulled over whether I should bring that question up while I slowly poked at my tray of mac & cheese.

"So… are you new here or something? I haven't seen you around…" I blurted, trying to make the awkward blush that formed on my face from concentrating so hard on her features go away.

"Yeah, my family just moved here this summer. I really like this town. It's small and it seems like everybody knows everybody. I like this school too. Everybody seems really nice."

I stared blankly at her. She obviously hasn't encountered the not-nice-at-all side of our grade. Like Killian and his friends. I hate Killian so much. But I guess it wasn't always that way. Ever since last summer, everything has been… different. Nobody knows why except Killian and I. Nobody has the guts to ask either of us. Killian's friends don't even know, they just do whatever he does. Idiots. But they just started picking on me and teasing me. Then it just got worse from there.

The bell rang and everyone rushed around, lazily throwing their trash away then hurrying to their lockers. Regina and I got up and started to make our way through the bustling crowd, when suddenly a hand came up and whacked my tray out of my hands. Trash scattered onto the floor. Some kids paused and stared but most just slowly walking away, pretending to be oblivious. This torment had become somewhat of a normal, everyday event so most people just kept their distance to avoid being caught in the riptide. I inhaled slowly, anticipating what was coming. I turned around to face Killian who looked like he was in one of his moods. The small crowd that casually formed around me started to back off. I tried to follow suit, but he caught my shoulder. He took my head and slammed it against the wall with particular force. Passerby gasped in shock. He's never done anything that bad. No one moved, as if staying still would somehow make them invisible. I felt hot, angry tears rush down my face. My head throbbed and dizziness overcame me. I could no longer see anything but I heard what was going on.

"HEY!" I heard a voice yell. It sounded like Regina- but angrier.

"This is none of your business. Although I saw you sitting with our little bitch over here. You must be her new slut." Killian purred.

I felt warm hands stand me up slowly. I leaned weakly onto this person, whoever it was, as I tried to stop my body from shaking.

"It's okay, I've got you." It was Regina's voice. She held me in her arms as my sight began to return. I blinked sloppily and was faced in front of a lady- my math teacher, Ms. Belle.

"Mr. Jones, see the principal immediately." Ms. Belle quipped shortly, jerking her head in the direction of the south hall. She turned to address the small group of people still lingering, "Every single one of you should be in class. Go on your way." She took hold of my arm gently, pulling me away from Regina, who was still cradling me protectively. "Come on, Emma" she whispered quietly, "Let's get you to the nurses' office."

I dizzily nodded and leaned onto her arm softly as we walked. I turned around for a moment to look at Regina.

"Thank you." I managed to whisper through my pained, quiet sobs. She smiled softly and nodded, though a vein of concern adorned her forehead.

As I stumbled off, I contemplated my biggest concern- her. Regina. _Why did she defend me like that? She doesn't even know me. She doesn't even know who I am and what I've done. I don't need anyone to defend me. I can handle my own problems. I mean, I guess it was pretty bad this time but… that doesn't matter. This won't last. If she ever finds out, she'll be like Killian soon enough._

But as I stared at the tile floor below me while I sat in the dimly lit nurses' office with an ice pack pressed against my head, I couldn't help but wonder if I might be wrong this time. I wondered if I had actually found a friend.

A friend in Regina.


End file.
